What does the future hold for Donington Park

[Al Weyman]

Funny enough my son in law who is really into football and only takes a passing interest in this sport because of me said yesterday, 'Who is that Gillett bloke, he was on TV the other day in an old sheepskin coat and looked like a right Arthur Daly East End motortrader'.

[Peter Horsman]

I hope that with the sad passing of Tom W, the incentive to retain/return Donington to the great race circuit that it was remains. Kevin's interest is more in military hardware - he does not share as completely his father's huge passion in racing perhaps.

[eigger]

I suspect I share the views of everyone on here when I say it was sad to hear of the passing of TomW after all he has put into the sport over the years. Without his vision and effort to redevelop the circuit we would all have missed out ou t on a lot of fun and entertainment over the years.
I think we may be judging DVLL and Mr Gillet a little harshly. I recall that before the failed F1 venture was launched DVLL actually improved the circuit facilities. I also recall that the F1 venture was launched in a more buoyant economy than today. At the time of launch I think the concerns were that it wouldn't get planning permission and wouldn't be complete in time. I don't think these were insurmountable. The F1 plan may have been optimistic but I think what sunk it was the sudden recession. The lesson is that they should have pulled the plug earlier.

[morninggents]

I believe the announcement of the British GP moving to Donington Park was made in July 2008 and the downturn in the economy was well on the way even if, technically, we weren't in recession at that time. As many have pointed out on this site it was a venture doomed to failure and is the result of one person's opportunistic 'make a quick buck' ambition fuelled by another's odious obsession.
Donington was a great circuit - a testament to a great man's passion and vision - and let's all hope it will revert to it's former glory. Unfortunately it does not have the infrastructure to host the British Grand Prix. I well remember the chaos when 60,000 spectators tried to get in, and out, when Nigel Mansell raced in BTCC in the mid-90s.
Whatever the feelings of the true enthusiast may be regarding the blandness of Silverstone's airfield underpinnings (and, IMO, it is not as good to race on as Donington) there is no doubt that the circuit owners have upgraded the facilities and infrastructure (helped by the taxpayer) to first class standards and they never deserved to lose the GP in the first place.

[john ruston]

Totally agree with my learned friend from up north.
There was a lot more on the main participants agenda than moving the GP.
Problem was that Gillett and his backers were at least as clever as the Donington Bernie faction and everyone lost out.
Kevin will take the best business opportunity to make most out of Donington and it may not include racing.
He is not running a charity.

[midgetman]

IMO the money's *almost* a side show. I think the business plan doesn't stack up, and never did. Impracticality of running a GP there as mentioned above, over-optimistic income projections, too short a time frame - all had as much if not more of an impact than the recession. I reckon the reason the money didn't turn up was that it was a rubbish idea.

Slightly off-topic, if the Brit GP is so crucial to the F1 teams and it's "only" £12m required to run it, why don't they each lob in a mil and run it at Silverstone? They only have to fly the company jet at three quarter throttle and they'll have saved that much Or lop 500k off each driver's retainer....

[p261brm]

Originally Posted by morninggents

No, it's mostly down to the poisoned dwarf.

could not agree more, one down with Mosley one to go.

[old man]

Having had a connection with this sport all my life and been a club member for over 50 years I am sad to see so much "knocking" as there is on this thread. The fact is that an over ambitious and badly timed venture failed and we are left with damage limitation now that one of the greatest enthusiasts of the last 50 years has died.
DVLL is insolvent, the prospectus for his desperate loan scheme said so and so we can expect the receiver to be called in and for someone to pick up the remaining lease for next to nothing. That someone will see a way to restore the racing facility to begin to earn money and then restore the UK's best circuit to international racing. The collection and lots of the buildings belong to TW's estate and if a man of his wealth has not protected his estate by establishing trusts I will be very surprised so, again, that part of his heritage will be left for us to enjoy.
As to Bernie, the current F1 circus is his creation and is vastly better than it was when he started, the season just finished has been interesting all year, sometimes for the wrong reasons but British Motorsport has grown with F1 and if you look back to the immediate post war years we struggled to field a single competitive car to compete with the Italians. Lots of people in the UK earn a good living from the industry that is F1.
True, Bernie has made more out of that than anyone else and his general antipathy towards the British GP does seem irrational but I doubt a deep plot to get rid of it from the calendar, just a mistaken view that Gillett was up to the task of building a notable facilty.
FOM and the BRDC must do a deal and I suspect a lot of powerful people will be active just now to see that it happens.
Donington will rise from the ashes because the track itself is not too bad and the rest can be restored and depending on who takes over it can be done quickly with the construction industry in its present low state.

[vjay48]

If you read Barrie Williams book he descibes a meeting of brdc which bernie attends,does his attitude date from this? Is it the BRDC he has got the hump with? not the british gp?

[john ruston]

It's BRDC.

[morninggents]

With the British Grand Prix used as leverage.

[morninggents]

Originally Posted by old man

Having had a connection with this sport all my life and been a club member for over 50 years I am sad to see so much "knocking" as there is on this thread. The fact is that an over ambitious and badly timed venture failed and we are left with damage limitation now that one of the greatest enthusiasts of the last 50 years has died.

Any 'knocking' from my contributions to this thread come from a deep sense of disappointment over this whole charade and I get no pleasure from seeing the venture go down as many innocent parties will lose money through being unsecured creditors. It's the underlying reasons that are ****ing me off. I suspect many of the other contributions arise from a similar sense of disappointment.

As for BE and F1 I agree that he has taken the sport to a far higher level than it was in the 60s and that resulted in it becoming a business rather than a sport - good thing? Maybe ..... maybe not ........ depends on how you view things.

Let's all hope that Donington can, as you say, 'rise from the ashes'. To me that would be the most fitting tribute to Tom Wheatcroft.

[vjay48]

i think a lot of people share the view that if its our game taking the ball away is childish and spiteful,the splendour of the new venues does not the improve the tv picture in my lounge,history is important,the british gp ia important,aintree,brands,donington and silverstone are all part of gp history. Do people who are ****ed off with the product switch off tv? Some of the newer venues dont set the world on fire for spectators.

[TR8ER#7]

I doubt my ramblings will move this thread along and doubt anyone cares what I think but hey...........

I echo the sad reflections on Tom Wheatcroft's passing and support all the positive comments made about him.

I REALLY hope someone gets the circuit back into operation and us clubbie racers get a chance to compete there.

Anyone got an opinion on if the Download Festival might be a saviour in conjunction with circuit racing - from memory they get around 100000 people there over the weekend in previous years. Surely this must make good revenue?

Anyone got any thoughts on what impact todays news that the plans for the EMA runway extension have been approved?

[andy97]

Originally Posted by TR8ER#7

I doubt my ramblings will move this thread along and doubt anyone cares what I think but hey...........

I echo the sad reflections on Tom Wheatcroft's passing and support all the positive comments made about him.

I REALLY hope someone gets the circuit back into operation and us clubbie racers get a chance to compete there.

Anyone got an opinion on if the Download Festival might be a saviour in conjunction with circuit racing - from memory they get around 100000 people there over the weekend in previous years. Surely this must make good revenue?

Anyone got any thoughts on what impact todays news that the plans for the EMA runway extension have been approved?

Not sure how true it is but I understand that Gillet's Lease with the Wheatcrofts's was c£2M pa & that the rental fee for a w/e day was £25K (plus your other costs). Not sure what mid week hire charges were. Download must bring in a fair amount & there's a few other exhibitions but, having lost Moto GP, WSR & Super League Formula in recent years, on that basis I'm not sure how easy it would be to make money at Donington and Invest.

Even to return to be being a Club venue, a bit on money needs to be spent to repair the damage done by the GP preparations.

I don't think the planning approval for East Miods Airport will have any effect. The sub structures for the Runway extensions already exist under the grass at each end of the runway IIRC (they did the foundations when they last did an extension!), there's no need to buy more land.

[Al Weyman]

I don't think the planning approval for East Miods Airport will have any effect. The sub structures for the Runway extensions already exist under the grass at each end of the runway IIRC (they did the foundations when they last did an extension!), there's no need to buy more land.

Its only a 190 metres anyhow (isn't it?).

[zefarelly]

RIP TW
the circuit must be saved, not may favourite in the world but better than anything els north of M25 and South of Cadwell!

monstors of Rock with a few choice bands ( with notable petrol heads playing ) might be a money spinner that could help, a lot of plastic pint glasses to clear up afterwards but circa £3.50 a pint it would probably generate enough profit to rebuild Silverstone as well!

[Tim the Grey]

Print the glasses with SAVE DONINGTON CONCERT and charge a £1 deposit, too...
Ebay bits of tarmac that have been dug up already?
Plenty of bits n bobs they could sell off to raise serious money.
All in the name of getting the circuit back and working.

[andy97]

I wonder if Jonathan Palmer would be interested in adding it to his stable? He's one of the few people that could probably make it work.

[Al Weyman]

Maybe but it would then almost be a monopoly, would that be allowed, they made BA sell off airports?

[andy97]

I agree Al, but I'd rather have a near monopoly (Silverstone, Mallory, Thruxton, Pembrey, Anglesea, Croft would still be seperate) than to lose the circuit. JPs track record (no pun intended) is pretty good at delivering improved circuits.

[Derwent Motorsp]

And Knockhill!

[zefarelly]

Originally Posted by andy97

I wonder if Jonathan Palmer would be interested in adding it to his stable? He's one of the few people that could probably make it work.

do you think he'd take all the mains hook ups out of the paddock to bring it into line with all his other circuits, actually, last time I went I'm not sure it had any anyway!

[andy97]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

do you think he'd take all the mains hook ups out of the paddock to bring it into line with all his other circuits, actually, last time I went I'm not sure it had any anyway!

Dunno, but I bet he'd get decent loos sorted!

[Al Weyman]

Not worried about mains hook ups, take em out for all I care may be less monster campers in the paddock then so we can all get in without having to park on the grass! As for toilets, a good hole in the ground is good enough for the French so just get the circuit sorted!